Re: [Paddlewise] Weather

It is classes and lectures about weather that are boring. Actual direct
observation of the weather is a blast.

Is there anybody on this list who has never just gone out and watched 
the clouds?

I find reading about bracing and rolling to be very boring but actually
doing it (or failing in the attempt) is lots of fun. Bracing and rolling
require training of the body as well as the mind and so does weather.

With practice outside in the weather, you become attuned to weather clues
that you may not even be aware of. A slight change in the waves. A smell
that is different may signal a change in the wind direction or the amount
of vertical mixing. 
Little clues add up and suddenly a little voice in your head tells you
things are changing and how they are changing. Sometimes it seems
mistical but it can be explained as simple good observation of 
the conditions.

Like driving a car, knowing the weather can become an automatic,
subconscious
process. This does take time and practice.

When I am living on a boat and am outside all day, everyday, my weather
skills become truely amazing. When I live in a house on shore I am much
less
able to know the weather simply because I am insulated from most of the
clues.

There is no substitute for water under your butt and wind past your ears.

michael

bkossy_at_igc.apc.org wrote:
> 
> I've only been glancing at the weather discussion every so often, so I may
> have missed something, but I can't fathom how anyone could find weather
> boring.
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